Cosmos / Chaos - Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir

When considering Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir’s oeuvre within the field of drawing and graphic art in Iceland’s art history, her iconic status is evident.

The exhibition Cosmos/Chaos marks the year of her 90th birthday, and Ragnheiður’s messages from the 1970s regarding women’s empowerment, environmental awareness and social responsibility are still remarkably apt in the present day. Her graphic works depict everyday phenomena rich in symbolism, referencing industrial development, political turmoil and unrest, damage to nature, social activism, the patriarchy and the women’s movement. Starkly relevant to our present social and environmental issues, her works remain sharp and contemporary today.

Ragnheiður’s early works are characterised by powerful symbolism, together with the meticulous and detailed-oriented hard labour that typifies the arduous medium of graphic art. The themes of her graphic works are unsettling and intriguing – abounding in surrealism and dry wit. Ragnheiður draws upon cultural metaphors within bizarre forms and creations…